Hand Held Personal Cleaning Device

ABSTRACT

A hand-held personal cleaning device is provided for allowing users with limited upper body mobility to clean hard to reach areas after using the restroom. The device comprises a handle having a grip, a working end having a grasping means, and a rigid curved tube secured therebetween. A first button disposed on the inside of the handle grip allows a user to open and close the grasping means located at the working end. The grasping means is used to retain and release a tissue loofah. A second button is located on the underside of the handle and may be used to disburse liquid from a reservoir within the handle onto the tissue loofah. A user may then maneuver the device and use the loofah to wipe his or her hard to reach areas. The loofah may then be disposed of by depressing the trigger button again, releasing the loofah for disposal down a drain or in a waste basket.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/441,334 filed on Feb. 10, 2011, entitled “AWip'r.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a personal hygiene assistance device, and more specifically to a disposable loofah-grabbing device for assisting individuals with limited mobility in cleaning hard to reach areas.

Persons suffering from limited upper body mobility often have trouble completing routine tasks. The elderly, the very obese, those with injuries and body builders may find it difficult to complete tasks that require bending over, reaching upwards or downwards, or stretching. Tasks such as tying shoelaces, taking clothes out of a lower drawer, putting on a belt, or cleaning oneself after using the restroom are problematic for those who do not have a full range of motion in their upper bodies. Many devices have been created to assist those with low mobility in reaching for and grasping hard to reach objects. The devices in the art are not geared to help a user to perform personal hygiene maintenance after using the restroom, as disclosed in the present invention, because they are not adapted to retain tissue paper nor are they curved to accommodate the shape of a user's body.

Some hand-held devices have been created to assist with household cleaning or bathing. These devices are not adapted to removably retain a loofah and therefore are not sanitary because the re-use of a personal hygiene product leads to the spread of potentially harmful germs and bacteria. Additionally, these devices do not contemplate a method for liquid disbursement that allows a user to treat an area with sanitizer or lotion. A hand-held personal hygiene assistance device is needed that provides a user with the ability to removably retain a cleaning material and disburse cleaning liquids onto the same.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The prior art contains a variety of cleaning devices having a handle and a cleaning material disposed on a working end for both personal and household cleaning. These devices have familiar design and structural elements for the purposes of cleaning hard to reach areas, however they are not adapted for the tasks of removably retaining a disposable loofah or conveniently disbursing sanitary liquid onto the same.

Rose, U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,921 discloses a household-cleaning device having an elongated handle member and netting wrapped work end. A cord is attached to one edge of gathered coarse netting and the cord is fastened to a groove in the handle and wound around the handle's work end so as to form multiple layers of the net material. The ends of the cord are stitched through the multiple layers of net material in order to prevent unwrapping, maintaining the layers close to the handle and preventing rotation of the layers during hard use. The end of the handle is tapered in order to facilitate the cleaning of areas, which are difficult to reach. The netting is not disposable, similar to the loofah of the instant invention. Rose, however, does not disclose a grasping and releasing means for removably retaining the cleaning material, or a sanitary liquid dispensing means. Additionally the cleaning device of Rose is intended and designed for the purpose of household cleaning and not personal hygiene assistance.

Coley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,012 discloses a household cleaning tool having an elongated handle member, a working end and a cloth retaining element disposed thereupon. Said cloth retaining element has a first face that is essentially flat and a vertically opposed second face. The second face has a recess adapted to snuggly receive the four corners of a cleaning cloth. A cleaning cloth such as a towel may be removably secured to the cloth retaining element by placing the same in the center of the cloth and then wrapping the peripheral edges around the retaining element. The corners of the cloth material are then inserted into said recess in the second face of cloth retaining element. This device is intended for use as a household cleaning device, not a personal hygiene assistant. Coley does not disclose a trigger means for allowing a user to control retention and release of the cloth material through the handle. Coley also does not contemplate a sanitary liquid disbursement means.

Xenos, U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,609 discloses a back washing device with two elongated handles extending from either side of a central pad portion to which is attached an elongated loofah pad member. The elongated loofah pad member may be either permanently attached to the strap by stitching or adhesive, or the loofah pad element may be attached to a backing member, which is attached to the strap by fastening means of hook and loop fasteners or snaps. Though the device of Xenos contemplates the use of sanitary liquids on the loofah, it does not describe a disbursement means for those liquids within the device itself. Likewise, the back washer does not have an elongated handle member or any trigger means that allows a user to retain or release the loofah.

Bynum, U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,447 discloses a washing device with an elongated handle and a scrubbing element disposed at a working end of the handle. Two adjacent openings extend through said working end. Opposed portions of the scrubbing element are positioned adjacent to the two openings. A clasp extending through the two openings, and around the scrubbing element secures the same to the device. Bynum discloses the washing device for the purposes of personal hygiene in the shower. It does not contemplate a disposable loofah removably retained by an elongated handle for the purposes of allowing a user to clean themselves after using the restroom. Bynum does not disclose a means for disbursing liquid to the cleaning material, nor does it disclose a trigger means allowing a user to retain or release said scrubbing material via an elongated handle.

Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,503 discloses a facial washing device comprising a handle grip having a circular working end with a circular cut-out, and a elastic mesh tube. Said elastic mesh tube is securely wound about the circular working end to create a loofah. The device of Chen includes a permanently secured loofah made of mesh, not a removably retainable and disposable loofah. Further, Chen does not disclose means for disbursing liquid onto the loofah.

The devices disclosed by the prior art do not address the need for removable retention of a disposable loofah or distribution of sanitizing liquid onto the same. The present invention relates to a device for personal hygiene assistance. The use of a disposable loofah and retention of the same allows for a single-use loofah, wherein it is used to clean an individual and then promptly disposed of to improve sanitation between users or uses. The ability to provide a liquid sanitizer or soap directly into the loofah similarly improves hygiene by eliminating the need for a user to manually apply liquid while the loofah is being deployed. The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art, consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to the existing personal cleaning devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of handheld personal cleaning devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new sanitizing liquid disbursement means and disposable loofah wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when cleaning themselves in a shower or after using a restroom. The device comprises a body, a retention assembly, an injection assembly, and a disposable loofah. The body has a handle, a curved rigid tube, and a working end. The handle and working end are affixed to opposing ends of the curved rigid tube. A grip is disposed on one side of the handle to allow a user to hold and manipulate the device. Disposed at the opposing end of the curved rigid tube is the working end, which comprises a loofah grasping means and a means to communicate liquid directly into the loofah while in use. The grasping means also provides a splashguard that reduces the chance of undesired liquid spray when sanitizing liquid is disbursed onto a loofah. It comprises a pair of short panels joined at and extending away from the opening of the rigid curved tube

The retention assembly facilitates user grasping and release of a loofah. The assembly comprises a trigger button operatively attached to a spring means that opens and closes a grasping means extending from the end of the rigid curved tube at the device working end. The trigger button is disposed within the inside cavity of the handle's grip so that a user holding the device may easily retain a new loofah or release a used loofah from the working end without physically touching either. A user depressing the trigger button causes a wire and spring means to compress and pull the grasping means apart. Release of the trigger button results in the grasping means returning to a closed state. In this manner, a loofah may easily be held or released by a user of the device without direct contact thereof.

A liquid injection assembly distributes a liquid stored within the handle cavity of the device onto a loofah being retained at the working end. The injection assembly comprises a pump trigger button, a sealable access panel, a reservoir, and a fluid conduit operatively connected thereto that traverses through the curved tube. The liquid reservoir is located within the handle of the device and is filled through an access panel disposed at the rear of the handle. A user can open the sealable access panel to fill the reservoir with sanitizing liquid and then close the access panel creating a liquid-tight seal. Alternatively, a cartridge style refill of liquid may be utilized to load into the handle cavity to provide the same liquid retention capability as an open reservoir. The user depresses the pump trigger button repeatedly to create pressure within the reservoir and force liquid through the conduit, out of the working end of the device and into the loofah.

The loofah comprises an assembly of tissue paper or similar hygiene product formed into a loofah ball, along with a top connector that is adapted to communicate fluid from the working end of the device and attach thereto. The liquid reservoir extends out of the tube and enters the top connector of the loofah ball when the two are engaged, while the grasping means ensures secure connection between the two. The tissue may be made of any biodegradable tissue material that is gentle on a user's skin, such as cotton or toilet paper. The desired loofahs are single use and may be flushed down a toilet or disposed in a waste bin once a user has used the device to clean himself or herself in a restroom setting.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved handheld personal cleaning device having all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved handheld personal cleaning device having a grasping means that facilitates picking up and releasing of a personal cleaning loofah.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved handheld personal cleaning device that allows users with limited upper torso mobility to easily clean themselves after using the restroom.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved handheld personal cleaning device having a liquid communication means that provides users with the ability to sanitize or moisturize their skin in hard to reach areas without physically touching or applying the liquid to a loofah device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved handheld personal cleaning device having biodegradable, single use cleaning components to reduce the potential spread of germs resulting from re-use, and decrease the buildup of non-environmentally friendly refuse.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved handheld personal cleaning device having all operative trigger buttons disposed along the device's handle to improve ease of use and manipulation thereof for users with limited upper body mobility.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved handheld personal cleaning device having resilient and durable construction that is inexpensive to produce.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The above invention will be better understood and the objects set forth above as well as other objects not stated above will become more apparent after a study of the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes use of the annexed drawings wherein

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a hand-held personal cleaning device according to the present invention with a magnified view of conduits associated with a retention assembly and a liquid injection assembly.

FIG. 2 shows side view of the working end of a hand-held personal cleaning device according to the present invention with a magnified view of the spring retention means and liquid conduit.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a disposable loofah according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the hand-held personal cleaning device. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for cleaning hard to reach areas after using the restroom. This is for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a hand-held personal cleaning device comprising a body having an elongated tube 16, a working end 12, a handle region 13 and a disposable loofah 14. Permanently secured to a first end of the curved tube 16 is the handle region 13. The handle comprises a finger trigger recess 18 and a contoured outer surface so that a user may ergonomically hold and operate the device with one hand. It may have smooth surfaces forming distinct corners (FIG. 1), or alternatively be formed to provide a fully contoured grip with curved surfaces that flow into one another (not shown). The curved tube 16 extends outward and downward from the handle 13, providing connection between the handle 13 and the working end 12. Attached to the working end 12 is a grasping means 19 formed of two claws, vices or other formed grips that compress together to bear against a work piece and secure thereto. The grips are conjoined to the curved tube 16 termination, providing a means to grasp a loofah and allow communication of liquid from the tube 16 to the loofah 14. The grasping means further provides a spray shield that reduces any potential spray back of liquid directed at the user when the liquid is being injected into the loofah.

Within the tube 16 of the device are conduits for sanitizing liquid 32 and for a wire conduit means 31 for activating the grasping means 19. Within the handle 13 there comprises a grasping means release button 20, a push button pump 22 and a reservoir 23 cavity. When the release button 20 is depressed, the wire 31 is placed in tension and a spring 34 within the working end is compressed to rotate the two claws of the grasping means 19 about attachment pins into an open position. When the button 20 is released, the claws return to a closed and secure position. The spring maintains the secure clamping of the grasping means 19 when the release button 20 is not being operated by the user. A reservoir 23 within the handle 13 of the device provides a cavity to load liquid sanitizer, soap or other fluid hygiene product for dispensation through the working end 12 of the device. An access door 24 is provided for loading the liquid as necessary. Alternatively, a means of accepting a cartridge of liquid may be provided to eliminate the need to manually load a fluid into an open reservoir and perform maintenance thereof.

A push button pump 22 is located along the base of the handle 13 and provides a means for the user to create pressure within the reservoir 23 and the attached liquid conduit 32. The push button pump 22 is repeatably depressed to build pressure within the reservoir to force liquid through the conduit 32 and out through the working end 12 and into the loofah 14. The access panel may comprise a variety of means to provide an adequate seal under pressure, including but not limited to a screw on cap, a stopper, or a snap on cap. As fluid in the reservoir 13 is depleted, more pressure is required and therefore more depressions of the pump button 22 are required to communicate fluid through the conduit and into the loofah. Within the curved tube 16 may be stanchions or support brackets to maintain the position of the wire 31 and the 32 as they are being manipulated and placed under load.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a close-up view of the working end 12 of the present invention. The retention assembly of the present invention comprises a trigger button 20 operatively attached to a spring 34 that opens and closes the grasping means extending from the end of the curved tube. Said trigger button 20 is disposed along the inner recess of the device handle 13, providing easy access for a user's index finger. A user depresses the trigger button 20 to open and close the grasping means 19 and thereby release or retain a disposable loofah 14. When the button is released, the grasping means 19 returns to a closed state. In a preferred embodiment, the trigger button 20 is connected to a wire 31 that is operatively connected through a conduit in the tube 16. The wire 31 attaches to a spring means 34 that is positioned at the working end of the device, just above the grasping means 19. The grasping means 19 may be a set of claws, a pinchers, hooks, or similar grasping structures. Between the grasping means 19 is an extension of the liquid conduit 32. The extension provides direct communication of fluid into the interior of the loofah for equal dispensation and lathering thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown a disposable loofah comprising a length of tissue formed into a ball, and a liquid communication top 27. The length of tissue is compressed and secured at a center point to create a loofah ball of tissue that actively lathers soap as with a traditional loofah known in the art. The liquid communication top 27 provides a central access port and a geometric shape that improves connectivity with the device's grasping means. The access port of the top 27 allows liquid to flow from the liquid conduit of the tube and into the center of the loofah, allowing dispensation into the loofah and onto the loofah surfaces for lathering purposes. Any soft material that is comfortable to a user's skin and is likewise biodegradable and septic tank safe may be used to make the loofah 14, along with any material that provides a biodegradable communication top 27. Cotton and toilet paper are contemplated for construction, but it is not desired to limit the loofah to these materials. Construction of the loofah and communication top from disposable, biodegradable materials reduces non-environmentally friendly waste, and reduces the spread of germs and bacteria caused by re-use of hygiene products. Users may flush a used loofah down the toilet or likewise place it in a waste container for later disposal after use.

In use, an individual opens the access panel and fills the device with a desired liquid such as sanitizer or lotion, then re-seals the access panel. The user then grips the device by the handle grip, maneuvers the working end over the top of a biodegradable loofah. The trigger button is then depressed to open the grasping means. Once the grasping means is positioned over the loofah top, the trigger button is released to pick up and retain the same. The loofah is then ready for use as a personal hygiene product. A user may wipe his or her hard to reach areas with the loofah to facilitate personal hygiene, cleansing thereof or for application of lotion. Prior to use, the user depresses the pump button to flow liquid through from the reservoir through the tube and to the working end of the device for dispensation onto the surface of the loofah. After the loofah has been used, a user manipulates the device so the loofah is positioned over a toilet or waste bin and then depresses the trigger button to release the used loofah thereto.

It is not desired to limit the present invention to the specific mechanisms illustrated in the figures for operation of the device. Specifically, the use of a spring and wire mechanism, a pump button and the action of the grasping means may be any suitable means deemed obvious to one skilled in the art of clamping means and fluid dispensation means. The illustrated and described invention is an exemplary embodiment shown to facilitate the intended use of the device, and all other suitable alternatives may be resorted to, falling within the scope and spirit of the invention.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

1) A hand-held personal cleaning device comprising: a handle region, working end, and a curved tube connected therebetween; a retention assembly for holding and releasing a loofah at said working end; a liquid injection means for disbursing liquid onto said loofah. 2) A device as in claim 1, wherein said handle region further comprises a recess for housing a retention assembly release button, and a push pump button for operating said liquid injection means. 3) A device as in claim 1, wherein said retention assembly comprises: a grasping means at said working end, a retention assembly release button on said handle for operating said grasping means, and a connection between said release button and said grasping means extending through said curved tube. 4) A device as in claim 3, wherein said connection comprises: a wire and spring mechanism that operably connects said release button to said grasping means through a conduit in said tube; said wire and spring closing said grasping means when said release button is not depressed, and opens said grasping means when said release button is depressed. 5) A device as in claim 1, further comprising a grasping means attached to said working end, said grasping means providing two hingedly attached jaws for grasping an object therebetween. 6) A device as in claim 1, wherein: said liquid injection assembly comprises an access panel disposed on the said handle, a reservoir cavity within said handle, a conduit for communicating liquid, and a push pump button; said fluid conduit extending from said reservoir to said working end through said tube; said push pump button introduces pressure within said cavity upon depression to force fluid through said conduit and out of said working end. 7) The device of claim 1, wherein said handle further comprises a grip for allowing a user to hold the device with one hand. 8) A hand-held personal cleaning device, comprising: a handle region, working end, and a curved tube connected therebetween; a retention assembly for holding and releasing a loofah at said working end, said retention assembly comprising a grasping means at said working end, a retention assembly release button on said handle for operating said grasping means, and a connection between said release button and said grasping means extending through said curved tube; said connection comprising a wire and spring mechanism that operably connects said release button to said grasping means through a conduit in said tube; said wire and spring closing said grasping means when said release button is not depressed, and opens said grasping means when said release button is depressed; a grasping means attached to said working end, said grasping means providing two hingedly attached jaws for grasping an object therebetween; a liquid injection means for disbursing liquid onto said loofah, said liquid injection assembly comprising an access panel disposed on the said handle, a reservoir cavity within said handle, a conduit for communicating liquid, and a push pump button; said fluid conduit extending from said reservoir to said working end through said tube; said push pump button introduces pressure within said cavity upon depression to force fluid through said conduit and out of said working end; said handle region comprising a recess for housing a retention assembly release button, and said push pump button. 9) A loofah for connection to a handheld personal cleaning device, comprising: a length of material secured at a central point and forming a loofah ball shape; fluid communication top for connection to a fluid conduit, said top comprising a central access port for flow of fluid therethrough into said central point. 10) The device of claim 9, wherein said loofah and fluid communication top being comprised of a biodegradable material. 11) The device of claim 9, wherein said loofah and fluid communication top being comprised of a biodegradable and septic tank acceptable material. 